Should Have Known
by GinStan
Summary: How I wish the gazebo scene would have gone. Otalia fic


**Should Have Known**

By Gin

"I can't marry Frank… because I don't love him I love **you**!" Natalia's voice was desperate, her dark eyes shiny with unshed tears. "You were wrong Olivia. Marrying Frank is **not** the best thing for me. I want… I **need** to be with you."

Olivia was stunned motionless for a few seconds, then the enormity of the situation hit her and she began to laugh, hysterically, uncontrollably. She was grateful she was wearing a long coat as she collapsed to the gazebo bench and buried her face in her hands, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Natalia narrowed her eyes at her friend. "This isn't funny!"

"No… it's just that the joke is on us." Olivia shook her finger at the sky. "Good one, Big Guy."

Now Natalia's eyes widened. "Did you just shake your finger at the Lord?"

That comment caused the laughter to increase in intensity and Olivia nodded. "Yeah, I guess I did." She wiped the tears away and exhaled slowly. "You have to admit it was a good joke though." She stood, moving closer to the dark-haired woman and took her hands, holding them up between them. "Don't you see?" She kissed the fingertips between her own. "It's a lesson. One we should have already known."

"Uh…" Natalia looked confused. "Maybe I missed it?"

"We were lying." Olivia smiled a little sadly. "Lying to ourselves, lying to each other, lying to everyone around us. But we should have known… I should have known…" Olivia released one of her hands to gently brush some of Natalia's lovely dark hair away from her face. "I should have known that you wouldn't be able to stand in a church, before your God, and lie."

"Yes, I should have known." Natalia smiled a sweet dimpled smile. "I love you, Olivia Spencer. I especially love that you try so hard to respect the faith I have… I also know that is part of the problem." She wiped off a section of bench and sat, pulling Olivia down beside her. "Another part of the problem is that you don't really understand what I believe." Wrapping one arm around her friend's shoulders, Natalia kept a firm hold on Olivia's hand. "Let me tell you a story… a bible story."

Olivia stifled the urge to groan and merely listened as Natalia's beautiful voice flowed over her.

"There once was a woman named, Naomi. She had a husband that she loved, and she bore that man two sons. He died, leaving her to raise the boys. Eventually they grew up and married, one of the sons married a woman named, Ruth. Because life was hard and dangerous, both boys were killed. Now it was just the women together and Naomi begged her daughters-in-law to return to their home villages to find husbands. One went. But Ruth… Ruth refused to leave." Natalia turned to Olivia. "What she told Naomi has been a favorite passage of mine for a long time, but… lately… it's been running through my mind quite often. Do you want to know what Ruth told Naomi?"

Olivia nodded.

Natalia smiled a dimpled smile and recited softly. "Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried; God do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part you and me."

Swallowing hard, Olivia blinked tears out of her eyes but couldn't speak.

"What I said in that church today, how I feel about loving someone special, seeing them, feeling the love as a direct gift from God… I meant that, but… Olivia… I was talking about you." Natalia sighed. "My God is all about love. He would not give me these feelings for you, if it wasn't good, and… right." They sat in silence for a moment, Natalia watching the expressions on Olivia's face cycle through, determined good intentions to unadulterated love. "Please, please Olivia." Natalia begged. "Don't push me away anymore." Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. "I just want us back the way we were… Please… I want to get Emma ready for school, make her lunch… go to work… come home make dinner… I want our Friday night movie night… I want to put our daughter to bed… go to sleep.. and wake up the next morning… with you." Natalia now pulled away, standing to walk across the gazebo and look out at the gently falling snow. "You want me to be happy Olivia?"

Olivia found her voice for a ragged but emphatic. "Yes!"

Whirling, Natalia moved closer and knelt in front of the woman she loved. "Don't you understand? **You** make me happy. **You** Olivia, no one else."

Olivia looked down into the eyes she would be happy to drown in. "Natalia…" A shaking hand covered her face, breaking the gaze. "…You don't know what your asking…"

"I do know…" Natalia pulled the hand away from Olivia's face and smiled. "I do."

With a bark of laughter, Olivia asked. "Can I kiss you now?"

Smile widening, Natalia moved closer.

Olivia felt the answer warm her lips, just before they connected.

"Yes."

End scene


End file.
